Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating an off-road vehicle (ORV) accident that occurred yesterday, killing one Gibson County man and leaving his teen-age passenger in critical condition.

Gibson County Central Dispatch received a 911 call at 4:36 p.m., about an accident at the intersection of State Road 168 and County Road 550 East.

Initial investigation showed that a side by side ORV driven by Zane Wampler, 18, of Princeton, with a juvenile passenger, was traveling southbound on C.R. 550 E when it attempted to pull out onto S.R. 168. The ORV was struck by a pickup truck traveling eastbound on S.R. 168.

Wampler was ejected from the ORV. The juvenile passenger remained in the ORV. The juvenile passenger was taken by helicopter to St. Vincent Hospital in Evansville, where he is in critical condition. Wampler was transported by ambulance to St. Vincent Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The investigation is still ongoing.

Helmets and protective riding gear were not being worn at the time of the accident. Indiana Conservation Officers recommend using all available safety equipment, and Indiana law requires anyone under 18 that is operator or passenger on an ORV to wear a helmet. For more information on ORV safety, see offroad-ed.com/indiana

Assisting agencies from Indiana included Gibson and Vanderburgh County coroner’s offices, Owensville EMS, Fort Branch EMS, Oakland City EMS, Barton Township Fire Department, Fort Branch and Haubstadt fire departments, Stat Flight, Gibson County Sheriff’s Department, Haubstadt Police Department, and Indiana State Police.